Forgive me, Kasey, for intruding on your thread and for not posting anything like a KC standard review but thought I would just drop a couple of things.

Working my way through The Expanse and enjoying every minute of it. Just started book five and joined Audible so I could keep 'reading' them during my commute.

On the non-Audible side, reading the third book in the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series. Got a little burnt out on Steam Punk a few years ago but really enjoying this take on it and the relationship between the two protagonists.

Finished The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak. Basically, it's like a teenage version of Halt & Catch Fire. It really soaks in the atmosphere of the 80's. Basically, you have a teenager programming things on his C64. He then befriends a girl who's also into programming and they work on a game together to enter into a competition. It's also part teenage caper. It was really good. Quite a lot of fun to read and I found it to be quite original. It also doesn't overdo it with references. Highly recommended.

Blake Sinclaire loved the girl next door, Maddie Hansen, in Prairie. However, their families was in a feud over some land that Blake's father lost in a poker game way back when, a part of their ancestral holdings. And Hansens didn't want to sell it back. Blake also had to manage his family land full time despite his MBA, and he had no time to pursue any love interests. In the latest attempt to reclaim the claim from the Hansens Patriarch, he was there to save him from an almost fatal heart attack, which brought Maddie Hansen, now a particle physicist at Fermi Labs, rushing home. And Blake had a plan to regain the land, and it involves being engaged to Maddie, even as Maddie has no plans to be a rancher's wife. But as Blake went ahead with his plan, he found that what he thought was the truth, was merely a cover story, and the truth is much more devastating, even as he realized the fake engagement he had with Maddie... may be turning quite real. But will their relationship withstand the truth?

Decent plot twists with family secrets getting rediscovered and admissions of cover-up made, this book is quite good, but the relationship, I wasn't quite sure it's all there. 6/8

Brooke Miller, scorned, threw away her love and her career as a winery's GM in a single night, and may have lost her reputation as well. She vowed revenge on her old/boss and boyfriend, and the first step is to buy the old ran-down vineyard in town and build it back to its glory. Unfortunately, when she was ready to deal, she found that someone had bought it out from under her... Ex-baseball star Billy Turlock, a jock she hated since high school. Billy's shoulder injury this time made him wanted to retire, for some calm countryside air. His grandpa always wanted a winery, and this beat-down vineyard is perfect. But his brothers had no idea how to run a winery... and for that, he needed Brooke, and show he's far from the dumb jock back in high school... When Brooke settled into her job, and found that Billy was interested in more than a working relationship... Brooke wondered if such a thing can last...

Paige Mitchell is a bestselling author. She's a short and frumpy housewife who prefers sweatpants and sweatshirts to Pradas and Diors. Nate Mason is a British actor making it in America as the lead in a famous action franchise, except his past scandal involving a young starlet made him a bit of outcast. When their agents suggested a "showmance" (public relations romance, mainly for the cameras) between the two, Paige was extremely doubtful. Who can believe action god Nate Mason be interested in a frumpy housewife that is Paige Mitchell? But they both need something... He wanted to be the star in a new franchise based on her books, and she wanted to have some creative control over movie franchise based on her books. Both needed the Hollywood buzz to move forward, and an alliance was struck. And as they spent time together, Paige learned that behind the smooth British facade was a real sensitive caring man. But this is a performance for the cameras... right?

Pretty good, even though it did devolve to a trope: A drives B away because A thought A was holding B back if B stayed. A finally realized they are being stupid even as B, tremendously hurt, realized A did it out of love. ARGH! Manipulations! Call it 6/8

Jack Walker is a legendary US Marshall who prefers chasing criminals and keeping clean (if possible), but when his family forced him to take a bride, he didn't ask. What he didn't count on was they found a girl all the way from England called Piper Renwick, who's about as sassy as they come. And Jack was not a nice guy, compared to the much suaver Charles Dewitt, a coach owner. Jack was supposed to be escorting a small coach caravan from Boston to Detroit, and hidden in the convoy are enough cash and gold to start a new bank branch, but someone in the convoy is a traitor. When Piper was kidnapped during a raid on the convoy, only Jack and his fellow Marshall can save her...

Slightly trope, but better twists than the bad mail order bride stories. 6/8

Followed by couple hundred pages of bonus content, which are, actually not too bad, unlike the drivel included in other books.

Mark Solomon got wrangled into his high school reunion, even though the last thing he wanted was be reminded that his wife Julia, whom he had married right after graduation, had died sixteen years ago, and no doubt every single woman at the reunion would be hitting on him. He was about to walk out when he found a woman sobbing on his doorstep... Copywriter Emma DeWitt is jaded, jilted, and jobless. She fell in love with her boss, and even got engaged. Then two weeks ago he suddenly called it off, basically forcing her to resign as she can no longer work for him. She went to the island resort any way, and was sobbing on the doorstep of the villa she would have occupied when Mark found her. And he made her an offer: spend a platonic week with him as his fiancee to help him ward off all the advances and questions. Mark believes there was only one soul mate, and he already loved, married, and buried his. Emma believes love is a marketing concept pitched to romantics to sell them even more stuff. But together, they fit so... right.

Ah, the typical lies got bigger and bigger until nothing can be contained kinda story, but very nicely polished. I felt the grand gesture at the end was a bit vague, but good reveal. 7/8

It's been quite awhile since I actually posted a review, so I figured I'd do a roundup of everything I've finished since Lincoln in the Bardo:

The Manitou by Graham Masterson - I only bought this for one reason - THE MANITOU movie (1978) is one of the most utterly insane (but fun) films I've ever seen. It stars Tony Curtis as a fraudulent psychic investigator trying to help a woman who has an ancient Native American medicine man growing out of her neck. I'm not making this up. I was delighted to find that the movie was an extremely faithful adaptation of the book. What's even crazier is that this novel spawned four more sequels, which I plan on picking up as soon as they are re-released.

Whoever Fights Monsters: My Twenty Years Tracking Serial Killers for the FBI by Robert K. Ressler & Tom Shachtman (Audiobook) - I'm a big true crime aficionado, but this book left me cold. Two problems - one, the narrator was just plain awful. He read in the same sing-song cadence throughout, paying little heed to the words he was actually saying. Listening to him describe brutal murder scenes in the same tone of voice as someone describing the lunch they had last Tuesday was simply off-putting. Secondly, as deserving of praise as Mr. Ressler is for his work with the FBI, he comes off sounding like a pompous ass. He effuses praise upon himself with every chapter, and it got grating very quickly. As fascinating as these criminal cases are, the presentation of this book was terrible.

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick - I was interested in this one due to the Amazon Prime series, but didn't really enjoy it very much. I confess that some of the classic sci-fi writers just go way over my head. I've always been a fantasy guy more than a science fiction guy, so I sometimes find these treasured classics dull and a slog to get through. Despite the short length of this one, it just never really grabbed me.

Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson - Speaking of books way over my head, this is a top contender. Erikson's novels have long been held up as some of the toughest fantasy novels you'll ever read due to the insanely intricate plotting, subtle details, and time-shifting that goes on. What little I could understand of this one was entertaining, but I didn't really have the patience to re-read passages to let everything fully sink in. At some point I may continue the series, as I hear that it start to click if you stick with it, but for now I have more entertaining things to read.

The Golden Age of Piracy: The Truth Behind Pirate Myths by Benerson Little (Audiobook) - I love pirates, so this seemed right up my alley. It goes into sometimes exhaustive detail on the reality of pirates vs the pop culture depiction borne out of Hollywood and literature. However, as surprising as some of the debunked myths were, I found myself equally surprised at how many things were actually true. This one was a bit overlong, but definitely educational.

The Fisherman by John Langan (Audiobook) - I typically don't read much horror unless it's Stephen King, but every now and again a book comes along that seems to have a lot of critical buzz that piques my interest. I'm glad I took a chance on this one. A tale within a tale, this book brings Lovecraft into the modern age. A sad, poignant tale bookends the fantastical horrors, and I found myself thinking about the book long after it was over. Highly recommended, and one I believe I'll find myself returning to at some point down the road.

Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel - Strange but quick read about mankind discovering pieces of a gigantic alien robot scattered across the globe. It's a fast-paced, young adult style sci-fi novel and I enjoyed it for the most part. I'll have to pick up the continuation at some point.

Alien: Out of the Shadows by Tim Lebbon & Dirk Maggs (Audiobook) - This is an Audible original audio drama that I wanted to listen to after watching Alien:Covenant. Entertaining with great production and an ingenious storyline that helps it fit into the Alien film chronology. Big props to the lady who played Ripley - at times she sounded spot on like Sigourney Weaver. Some other awesome voice talents round out the cast.

The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan (Audiobook) - I'm a big fan of the TV series based on this trilogy, so I finally got around to reading the books. The show is actually very faithful to the book, so there weren't many surprises. On the other hand, being familiar with the story helped me enjoy the literary depiction a great deal. In the middle of the second book now.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - Another book where I watched the movie first. And much like the movie, I wasn't particularly impressed. It's fine lightweight entertainment, but by the end I wasn't on the edge of my seat to pick up the sequel. I would have probably been more forgiving had I NOT seen the movie, but as it stood that mediocre baggage couldn't help but color my impressions of the book.

Neuromancer by William Gibson - Another sci-fi classic that was way over my head. However, it was fascinating to see the ideas presented in this novel that were so far ahead of their time. I can't say I understood any of it, but seeing cyberpunk be invented before my very eyes was a neat experience.

Your Friend in Time: How Back to the Future Changed My Life by Jeff Tucker - I'm a big fan of the 91 Reasons podcast that Jeff does, so I picked up this latest book to support him and his show. He talks about a lot of memories he's already covered on the podcast, but it was fun reading about them again. Jeff is one of the biggest Back to the Future fans on the planet, so it was fascinating to see the lengths he went to in order to be closer to the film - from meeting Michael J. Fox to sneaking onto the Universal Studios backlot.

Indefensible: The Missing Truth About Steven Avery, Teresa Halbach, and Making a Murderer by Michael Griesbach - Shortly after I finished watching MAKING A MURDERER, I was already asking myself questions about how neutral the documentary actually was. This book shreds it to pieces, explaining the other side of the story that the documentary completely left out and submitting evidence that Steven Avery was every bit as guilty as charged. Michael Griesbach was one of the people instrumental in Avery's release for his original false imprisonment, so he has on axes to grind. I came away thoroughly convinced of Avery's guilt, and really angry at the snowjob the Making a Murderer folks pulled.

The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson (Audiobook)- I love, love, love Brandon Sanderson, and particularly his Mistborn novels. The Allow of Law jumps hundreds of years in time. The medieval fantasy realm of the original series is now more akin to the American Wild West, with gunslingers and train robberies. This was a rollicking good time, and I greatly enjoyed seeing the magic system of the original novels ported into this cowboy-esque setting. It's also extremely funny, as leads Wax and Wayne would not be out of place heading up a buddy cop comedy.

Gwendy's Button Box by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar - I was really eager to get my hands on this one since it was co-written by King. I was really disappointed to find it was only a novella and not a complete novel. Still, the premise is fascinating and it has the same great tone of a typical King story. Unfortunately that mesmerizing premise fails to deliver a payoff, and I left feeling slightly cheated. Unfortunately it straddles an uncomfortable in-between state where it fails to satisfy as either a short story or a novel, and that's too bad. Still, I hope someone nabs the film rights to this one and turns it into something a little more satisfying.

If you are interested in digging more into Making a Murderer, you should check out the first few podcast episodes of "Real Crime Profile" headlined by two real profilers (retired) Jim Clemente (ex-FBI) and Laura Richards (ex New Scotland Yard), hosted by Lisa Zambetti, casting director for Criminal Minds TV show.

Fritz, the Grand City PD's top dog, seriiously misjudged a situation when the perp he tried to corner had assistance from a ex-mil rottweiler and his jrt sidekick. The fight did not go his way. The perp got away, and he was forcibly retired... and had to endure a very different kind of hell... the suburbs, when his handler took him in as the latest addition to the family. Surrounded by neglected mutts and suburbanite hounds, Fritz knew that he can't go back to his old life, but leaving that one perp out there is unacceptable. Thus, Fritz must brave the unknown by going into the city one more time, and navigate the world he left behind, the canine underworld of cat-races, underground clubs, and dog parks, for a chance at redemption.

Quite funny, even to me a not quite dog-lover. If you like dogs, and like "secret life of pets" or such, this should be right up your alley. 6/8

Widower and single father Ryan Howard was way too busy with his three kids (4, 7 and 9) and his job (Paramedic, and Army Reserves) to care about the movie that was supposed to start filing in the town of Pine Harbour. He was supposed to be helping the movie-staff who's renting out his in-law's place just down the road, but he can't stand Hollywood types, except for the quiet intern who does her running every evening and they had quite nice chat. But Holly's no intern... Holly is really Hope Creswell, superstar. She's at the top of her career, but Ryan was the only one who can make her feel... something real, genuine. And before she can explain her double life, he kissed her. Now nothing will be the same...

Monica Gardner MD was passed over for another promotion at the hospital she worked at and got dumped by her boyfriend, that she had to leave town. She moved all the way to New Orleans post-Katrina determined to make a name for herself as ER physician. She didn't count on her instant love-hate relationship she had with the gorgeous OB/GYN Elijah Holmes, who yelled at her when she performed an emergency C-section on a pregnant woman. Though to his credit, she was temporarily decked out in nurse's scrubs when a boy upchucked over her doctor's scrubs. Forced to co-chair the hospital's charity banquet, they have to work closely with each other, when he sprung on her the surprise... Eli is forever haunted by his mother to reunite him with his high school GF... so Eli need Monica to play his new girlfriend. But when they develope real feelings for each other...

The New Orleans atmosphere was nice, and both characters are nicely rounded, but something doesn't fit in Monica's character. She's an ER physician, so she's not easily rattled, but personal relatioship problem drives her insane? That she had to leave town? And when some EX decided to show off some deluded claim to Eli, her inadequacy hits home and she won't talk to him for a week? WTF? 5.5/8

Haley is a tortured soul. She lost her mother while rescuing neglected and abused horses, and she blamed herself every day while trying to keep herself going, to rescue more animals, for it was the only thing that kept her alive. Her rent is coming due, her boss is more interested in her... rack than her job performance... Running into Aiden, the Hollywood playboy was not on the menu at all. But Aiden is far from the Hollywood playboy he appeared to be either. He copes by engaging in NSA sex, drug, and alcohol abuse, for he can't sleep. When his latest movie took him into Haley's town, they met, and they recognized something in each other: they are both so very alone... but can they risk that friendship turning into something more?

Nicely rounded characters, except for the "I'm so unworthy" moment that lead to the darkest hour. That's so trope. 6/8

Book 1 Unexpected Gifts -- Andi decided to hide out in Castle Mountain Lodge to avoid spending Christmas with her folks... It reminded her too much, until she met Colin who really wanted to share the Christmas spirit...

Book 2 Hidden Gifts -- Morgan moved to the Lodge to work and a new life, but she didn't count on the rugged cowboy Bo and his beautiful daughter Ella barging into her new life...

Book 3 (short story) Unexpected Endings --- Andi is feeling a bit anxious after Bo's long trips out of state even as she wanted some private times alone... Is Bo coming... or going?

Book 4 Mistaken Gifts -- Eva's Andi's wedding planner and EVERYTHING had to be perfect... but Jeff, the ranch hand and horse specialist, is definitely NOT helping... with his gorgeous looks and heart-stopping touch.

Melvin Lai inherited something he never expected... His uncle's cocker spaniel. He... doesn't like animals, and he had no idea how to take care of one, esp. one who's leaving brown stains all over his carpet and refused every command he gave. At his wit's end, he went to the pet clinic and met Dr. Vivian Chu, who basically struck him dumb. But let's just say Melvin did not leave a good impression, and Vivian's foremost rule in dating, not that she dated, is "must love animals", and Melvin is anything but. But Melvin is determined to make Vivian his Valentine. It's going to take a miracle... and a little help from the dog, to make it happen.

Cass is drowning in debt from a loan shark, in order pay her father's medical bills. She can't find any work, and soon she'll be out on the street because she hadn't had money to pay rent. When her friend signed her on for Cinderella.com to impersonate the famous hotel heiress Tamara Honeywell (by Tamara herself), she can't refuse, esp. when the job pays 30K... for one month of work: live on a ranch in Montana and learn how to ride a horse (blame Tamara's daddy). So what's the catch? She had to get a spray tan, get lips done, and learn how to behave like a spoiled brat. What she didn't count on was the jaw-dropping gorgeous cowboy Clay... who can't stand pampered princesses like Tamara... And Cass can't stay... this ain't her life...

Actually a very charming story. I'd give it 7 except the ending was a bit of deus ex machina for me. The author should have dropped a few more hints along the way that Clay is more than he claimed to be. That would have made the revelation that much sweeter. 6.5/8

Maggie Mitchell came home to Silver Bay to bury her father and settle her past, as she left without saying goodbye, not that she really wanted to face Josh Harden, the man who still has her heart. As Maggie cleaned up the home and prep it for sale, she found letters that suggest she may have been adopted, which would explain why her father was never nice to her. But as she dug into her past, will she be prepared to learn the truth?

The book has a lot of characters and things may get a bit confusing, but once you figured it out, and the story was as poignant as any, you'll come to like all the people. My only objection was the story was a bit unbalanced, with almost all the story on Maggie and very little on Josh. 7/8

Charlotte "Charlie" O'Brien, a navy doctor, returned to North Salem, MA to visit her family when a hurricane hit, and left Jake Sherbrooke in town. Jake is in town as a part of his disaster relief Falmouth Foundation. The media called him prince charming, and it's true, the current POTUS is his father, but he refused secret service protection and he's out there nailing boards and moving trees just like any common man. Charlie found Jake was nothing like she expected, and Jake found Charlie utterly fascinating. But is there a chance between them?

Scuzz wrote:Manchester's book Goodbye Darkness is a great read about his experiences during WW2. Although I guess there is some disagreement about whether the book is fiction or not. I have talked to WW2 vets who felt the book factually portrayed their experiences.

The book is one part history of the war in the Pacific, one part memoir of his late 70s trip back through the islands, and one part personal history of his experiences. If there is nothing in his personal history that is true, the other two parts of the book are certainly worth it. I certainly have no qualms about recommending it.

Completed: Goodbye, Darkness

Isgrimnur wrote:Goodbye, Darkness is available on Audible Channels for Amazon Prime members.

Grrr... a girl who fetishes military men. The short of it is someone deployed some girl into infantry combat in Afghanistan. Sorry, this can't happen in reality, and have her wanting to bonk her corporal is even worse. The military bits are a total joke. The order was to raid an enemy safehouse. So instead of use overwhelming force, the author had the platoon separate into 5 separate groups, then trudge through streets, avoiding ambushes, to somehow converge on the house an hour later. WTF came up with these stupid scenarios? And I'm only 1/3 into the book!

Champion Bronc Rider Ty Harding went home after his latest injury. He hadn't been home (Marietta, MT) in four years, and the first person he'd really wanted to see was Shelby O'Connor, the woman who begged him to stay... the woman he left behind... the woman he still loved. Shelby is not big on second chances... except to horses, for she deals with difficult horses, and train them. But Ty's arrival turned her world upside down, as she finally realized she's not as over him as she thought. But when Ty decided to head back into the ring one more time, as test for his comeback, Shelby will have to decide...

YellowKing wrote:The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick - I was interested in this one due to the Amazon Prime series, but didn't really enjoy it very much. I confess that some of the classic sci-fi writers just go way over my head. I've always been a fantasy guy more than a science fiction guy, so I sometimes find these treasured classics dull and a slog to get through. Despite the short length of this one, it just never really grabbed me.

ok, i quite liked this one (tho it was never finished), but you really must try _The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch_ for some loopy funsies. PKD is like Terry Gilliam or David Lynch, in that he is typically sublime and sucky in the same story, and even at the exact same time - - - but the good stuff is *really* good

Molly Luco had never made waves, and always cleaned up after others, even when family members turned abusive. For Molly was actually adopted. She planned her escape, and she just needed to hang in there a little longer, until a man from her past came back into her life, and made her realize it is okay to want something for herself. But he's dangerous to her plans, even as he only wanted to protect her, from herself if need be...

This book is hard to rate. It is very hard to read the initial parts, as Molly definitely came across as a spineless doormat and it's crazy she allowed herself to sunk so low. It wasn't until she revealed her escape plan to the MMC that the tension picked up and the book became readable. If you can get past the initial parts it becomes better, but overall, I had to give this merely 3/5

Melody Hurst can no longer be a southern belle... it's after the war. Her husband was branded a deserter and turned bitter. He decided to hunt a man down in the Rockies for leaving him to be caught by the home guard, and Melody had to bring her unmarried sister along, for there was no one else left. After shooting the man down in cold blood, her husband went to find a prospector for there may be oil in these hills. And the man he brought back... was not who he seemed. For Melody recognized a hunter when she saw one. His name is Cole Baywood... and he is actually looking for his brother who should be around these parts... What are these women hiding?

Hurray! This is NOT a MOB (mail order bride) romance! And it's actually got some twists and turns in the story. 6/8

Jadie Santiago had to bury her secrets to move on, and she did by landing a new job at a literary agency. She didn't expect to catch the attention of the handsome and rich Reece Carter, who can easily break her heart. When she encountered her absentee father living as a bum on the street not far from her work, her insecurities came back with a vengeance. Now she's doubting every decision she ever made, and she had to confess to Reece and risk everything, for a chance to gain her happily ever after.

The guy's too good and the girl's too damaged. Sure, he had some abandonement issues too. But really, how about a little balance here? 5.5/8

Rookie SEAL about to go on his first deployment caught a reality TV star hiding out on a beach and seduced her... and got her pregnant.

WTF? The guy gulps down EIGHT beers, decided his fellow married SEALs are too lame, heads out, takes sips from his flask, goes on the beach bar for more shots, found this woman who decided to go take a swim in the dark, decided she's in trouble, swims out after her in the dark, gets surprised in the water by the woman (!), swims back, then had mad sex with her (w/o a condom). Oh, and he also claim he doesn't like being ordered around. And he's a rookie SEAL.

Reeve Banks needed a clean break from her pain... so she headed home... Until she got stranded by a flat tire. And a Mr. Tall, dark, and handsome came to rescue her... by the name of Edward. Who's so cool and so wanted to romance her, but she's not quite ready yet due to her past pain... But when will she be ready if she can't let go?

Michael Tully fell for the girl in the camp 20 years ago, but he didn't go back for several years. When they both went to Dartmouth as they promised, it's love rekindled, and he married her. But now, she's serving him divorce papers and sank every penny she had into buying and revitalizing Camp Firefly Falls, because he had put his career in the family company first, and neglected her. Now he's determined to do what's right... to win back his wife.

Five years ago, the AI DANA declared war on humanity, and the AI is winning. What's worse, DANA had developed androids, indistinguishable from humans except through deep MRI. Only Seven Cities remained. Human command launched the most desperate plan yet. Apollo Jones, one of the finest "Erasers" who ever went into battle, is tasked to leading six civilians (none of whom really knew why they are there), and one android Eve, who defected and joined the human side. But to do so, they will have to trek for TWO MONTHS through hostile terrain, hunted by drones, robot soldiers, and skins (humans mind-slaved by implants). And they will have to share all of their secrets and trust each other, if they are to survive... but nobody is ready to do that just yet... for they all have secrets...

This is 1/3rd of a novel, and it doesn't really end on a good part, as the first third doesn't stand on its own. The action is okay, but a lot of the bulk was in flash-backs. You need to read the other two volumes to conclude the plot, and it's really kinda "meh". 2/8

Town rake Grayson Cole climbed into a hayloft where schoolmarm Nora Banks was hiding out, both trying to get away from something, but now both are left in a compromising position, when he slipped on fell on her, leading to discovery of both. Now, held to a shotgun wedding, that neither really needed, they both agreed they should break up as soon as possible. However, they didn't quite count on their attraction to each other...

Reformed rake, yeah, and the dowdy school marm with her spinster rep. Ahem. A bit too trope, but it's okay, I guess. 4/8

Rade got his ex-military mates together and started an interstellar security consulting company. (No, NOT mercenaries...) They have a ship, they have combat veterans with six mechs and a load of combat bots and scouts. But they are barely making payroll, bank is breathing down their necks, and their latest ex-client (whom they had to liberate a bunch of slave girls from) gave them very bad reviews not to mention vowed retribution. Rade had no choice but to take on this mysterious new client who just wanted Rade to escort her and her ship to a frontier planet... without asking any questions about her cargo. Except.. the colony is deserted, and there's some sort of alien infestation. But Rade and his team are veterans of the Bug Wars, and it's time for another epic Bug Hunt...

Actually pretty good for a military yarn, with excellent twists and turns. Call it... 7/8

CEO "Shaw" Cassidy was shot in the head and lost her memory. All she can remember was being attacked by a faceless man, about hiding, and unspeakable fear. She retreated to her family Victorian estate, hoping to recover, but eerie shadows and sounds are driving her mad, and into the arms of one man whom she instinctively knew would never hurt her, but she can't remember his name... FBI Special Agent Cole Marinos is running out of time. Shaw was his childhood sweetheart, and he saved her from the fire that claimed her brother who was always out to torment her, only to be forced to leave her behind. Now he's back in his family cabin adjacent to her estate, keeping an eye out on her well-being... and her sanity. Someone had been leaking Cassidy Enterprise's technical innovations to people who shouldn't have them, and enough evidence is pointing at Shaw that HSI is suspecting Shaw engineered this "breakdown" to divert attention from herself. Can Cole trust Shaw's innocenCe? Can Shaw trust Cole to keep her safe?

Good psychological thriller, about gaslighting someone that's just believable enough to make things VERY interesting indeed about what to believe. 7.5/8

Haskell Wyoming is going high-tech with the opening of Paradise Space Flight. The entire town is happy about the transition, except cowgirl Casey Flint, one of the founding families, who's in despair over her father selling a bit of their ranch to a newcomer Scott Martin to build his dream house as symbol of the town's transition and of her heritage. Casey attempts to block Scott in every way, and Scott falls hard for the feisty cowgirl, even as the infamous Bonneville family in town plays their gambit behind the scenes to threaten both of their plans. Now Casey and Scott must unite (in more ways than one) to save the past... and the future.

This is technically a linked universe with the author's historical romances "Brides of Paradise Ranch" as its set in the same town and features their descendants. And it makes for some interesting back references too. The gambit to abuse law to their own advantage was pretty good, even though the two characters appear to be a bit too... stereotypical. 6/8

James Blakely is dead, but he's not gone. Someone shot him 12 times while he slept. He was sure he was going to Hell... but he cannot remember why, when he was offered a choice: go to the afterworld... or stay in the mortal plane as a ghost until he figured it out, and risk fading into nothing. He chose to stay, but the longer he stayed, the less he remembered... James was lucky to have found a medium who can actually see and communicate with him, but his time is running out as he had to solve his own murder, as well as the reason for his own damnation...

Nice, very nice. I really do recommend this book, even though it does get religious somewhat. Christians may get offended a little when a statue of Jesus literally unnailed himself to talk to the ghost of James about redemption... in a church. But it's not preachy at all. 8/8

Cassidy swore off love a long time ago after some carefree NSA sex with various partners left her with her son, Shiloh and no daddy. Cassidy remained fiercely independent as a physical therapist, and didn't need a man in her life... but her latest patient Ryder Starling tested her patience... and her libido. Ryder is a bullrider that got bucked off, leading him to her office, and he, like his buddies, swore not to get tied down with the ball-and-chain called wife and family... until he met Cassidy and Shiloh. The two shouldn't be able to stand each other, but neither can they stay away from each other...

It's basically insta-lust, but done well enough so it's somewhat less obvious. 5.5/8

It is 1886 in the town of Y Knot in Montana. Charity McCutcheon is finally about to marry Brandon Crawford, sheriff of Y Knot, after being rescued (see previous novel) but when a Cheyenne young woman Running Fox showed up half dead, intending to see her half brother, Luke McCutcheon, that ancient family secrets were revealed. Brandon got an offer to be a US Marshall in Kansas City, MI and serve alongside the man who rescued him from bandits that killed his parents. It seems the marriage may not occur after all. It only got more chaotic when a Cheyenne Brave showed up in town as well, intending to take Running Fox back, and two men found dead outside of town, apparently shot...

Good set of interlocking tales. Caroline Fyffe is a master in weaving the little details that would form basis for her later novels around the primary plot (which were complications to the wedding of Charity and and Brandon) so the story feel finished even though there are plenty of stuff left to write about. This one is no exception. 6.5/8